Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1887-11-04
FUNERALS IN MEXICO.
How Enterprising Stakeholder Made
His Street-Car Shares Pay.

In inc Olty OF MEXICO every DOuy
rides. They patronizc the street cars
when carriage can be obtained
cheaper. That is one can get car
riage for % and so cents an hour,
when one knows how to do it. The
street car fares cost 124 and rs cents,
yet the cabman sleeps on his elevated
post of honor while the cars overflow at
both ends. The cars in the City of
Mexico run on ninety miles of rails and
last year carried $500, 900 passengers.
The company owns 1000 mules and
horses, IT'S first-class coaches. IS
second-class, so platform or freight
cars and So funeral cars, according to
the statistics furnished me. They pay
an annual dividend of per cent on a
capital OF IS, 100, 900, yet they rival the
Interstate Commerce bill on their lber-
atty with passes. In whole year only
six were issued, and they were given to
Government officials.
All the cars start from the Zocalo, the
center square of the city, which faces
the palace and cathedral and was de-
signed and laid out at the command Of
Carlotta, Maximilian's unfortunate
bride. No car ever runs single. They
all travel in trains of various lengths.
The drivers say it is to protect them
selves from bandits. who might other
wise overpowcr the passengers on one
car and rid them of their earthly gain.
Every car has two drivers, conductor
to sell tickets and another to collect
them. This is to prevent cheating. At
every corner the drivers blow horn to
warn pedestrians to clear the way.
The mules go at break neck speed,
while the drivers apply the whip vigor-
Dusty. Very seldom more than one
mule is used in a car. rs the city is
level, but that one slender mule will
garry an immense load with speed
which would turn Kentucky mule
gray with envy.
When the street car line was first
opened in Mexico. an entcrprising
stakeholder, Senior Gayosso. bought up
all the hearses in the city. He then
had funeral cars built for the tracks,
and procured the sole right to prepare
passengers and haul them to their last
resting-place. He is to-day one OF the
wcalthiest men in Mexico. The first
class funeral cars for adults are built Of
fine black wood. A raised part is in
the center of the car on which the coffin
is placed. A canopy, exquisitely fin
iabo1 hn k.. Il 40
being artistically drapcd. From fou
70 eight beautiful black horses, with
long black plumes in their heads, haul
this strange car.
The two drivers are dressed in fine
black suits, gloves and high silk hats
bound with wide crepe bands. The
coffin is placed on the rest prepared for
it, and all around and over flowers are
placed. Following this comes train
of cars with the friends Tho windows
are draped with white crepe and the
doors with black. A funeral train will
average twenty cars and more, if it is a
person of wealth who has died, but in
the hundreds who follow body to the
grave can not be found one woman or q
child.
l have asked the reason why nc
women ever attend funerals in Mexico
1t is against the rules of society. MIR
Gayosso says women are not allowed
to 60 to funerals because they cry toe
much. However, wife cannot go to
her husband s funeral, nor can mother
follow her babe to its grave.
There is similarity in all the funcra
cars. Those for children are white
drawn by white horses. Those for the
poor are, like other things in this world
Cor the poor, cheap and shabby. TIL
poor Indian can have funeral car an.
two passage tickets for fifty cents by
applying 10 the police. He can even
hire plain, implanted coffin to carry
the dead 10 the grave. Once there the
body is wrapped in serape and con-
signed to a grave which has been rented
for from two to five years. At the end
of that time the grave is opened and
the bleaching bones are cast into g
corner kept for that purpose, where
they lay bleaching in the hot Southern
sun. exposed to the gaze of the public
Funerals cost from 80 cents to So. 600
One Of the prettiest customs in Mexico
is the universal respect which greets a
passing funeral. Every man. from the
millionaire to the poor-half clad pcon,
takes off his hat until the sad train has
passed. Well-dressed senoras bow
their heads and silently cross them
selves, while the Indian women kneel
in prayer.-Netlie By, IN NJ Y Moi,
and Express.
WORKING Him Niceiv